'I want to do it all': Bethlehem native spent a year trying new adventures each week

Bethlehem native Libby Segal spent a year of trying a new adventure each week. Her next escapade: a reality TV show.

June 28, 2013|By Ryan Kneller, Of The Morning Call

To say that Libby Segal keeps busy is an understatement. At 25, the Bethlehem native has experienced more than many people twice her age. And that's exactly the way she hopes to keep it.

"I want to do it all," says Segal, a 2006 graduate of Freedom High School. "I want to live life so brightly that when people tell my story, they need sunglasses to tell it."

Segal, who wears yellow sunglasses denoting her philosophy, began a project called The Hobby Hoarder in February 2012. The idea was simple – try 52 new hobbies in 52 weeks. Segal welcomed all things unfamiliar, from up-in-the-air activities such as hang gliding and ziplining to land-based ventures like glass making and knife throwing.

Following the project's completion this February, a video highlighting Segal's year of escapades was shown on AOL.com. The feature caught the eye of a producer from the Live Well Network, and that has led to her newest adventure. Segal and a friend were cast in an episode of the network's reality travel series "Sweet Retreats" that airs 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

"It's basically 'House Hunters' for vacation rentals," says Segal, who lives and works in New York City. "My friend, Kim, and I went to New York's Hudson Valley, where we had to choose one of three vacation homes: a contemporary farmhouse, a Tuscan-inspired gem and a barn converted into a vacation home."

Producer Julia Fisher says Segal was a good fit for the show. "We cast Libby for an episode of 'Sweet Retreats' because of her infectious energy and love for travel," she says.

Segal has continued her pursuit of new exploits months after The Hobby Hoarder project officially ended.

"I still do at least one new thing per week," she says during a visit to Bethlehem last week. "I'm currently taking a Pon de FLO class, which is a Caribbean/reggae-based dance fitness class. It's like Zumba, but a lot better."

In February and March, Segal celebrated the project's completion with a road trip spanning 37 states and parts of Canada. Along with two travel companions, Segal conquered even more activities, including snowmobiling in Colorado and hot air ballooning in New Mexico.

"I still have no words for the hot air balloon experience," says Segal. "Amazing doesn't do it justice."

Further proof of Segal's thirst for new endeavors lies in an aerial yoga class that she took with her sister last Sunday and a Rugged Maniac 5K Obstacle Race that she is running June 29 in Brooklyn.

"When you're passionate about a hobby, you make time for it," Segal says. "My hobby is hobbying, and I'm closing in on 90 of them."

Segal's inspiration for The Hobby Hoarder came from books chronicling other year-long crusades, including A.J. Jacobs' "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" and Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun."

A standout field hockey player at both Freedom and the University of Rhode Island, Segal wanted to avoid the label of "just an athlete," so she strayed from traditional sports in her year-long quest. Instead, she challenged herself to learn hobbies, including guitar playing, trapeze arts and hip hop dance.

"For my first hobby, I wanted to step as far out of my comfort zone as possible," Segal says. "Since I've never felt sexy, I found pole dancing to be a good place to start. Everyone had to wear booty shorts, which I've never owned, so I bought men's boxer briefs from T.J. Maxx."

Segal says the scariest activities were not adrenaline-packed ones like sky diving, but ones where she felt vulnerable, such as dance and singing classes.

"I don't mind jumping out of a plane," Segal says. "It's when I put my flaws on display that I suddenly become afraid. Even when I went shark diving, the scariest part of that was wearing a swimsuit in front of other people."

Segal, who got stuck in the ocean's undertow as a child, confronted her fear of the ocean during a surfing lesson in The Rockaways on Long Island.

"I started out taking baby steps toward the water," Segal says. "But once I got in and started paddling, I was fine. I stood up on the board three or four times, but I was most proud of getting over my fear."

Her favorite hobby — piloting an airplane — is one she hopes to continue in the future.

"I've taken two more flight lessons since my original lesson over Jones Beach," says Segal. "I'm definitely interested in getting my pilot license, but talk about picking one of the most expensive hobbies."

In addition to hobbying and working as an associate producer on the Investigation Discovery channel's true crime show "Redrum," Segal is writing a book about her hobby year. She is more than halfway through the yet-to-be-titled account of her year of hobbying, which she hopes will inspire others to "break out of their shell, try new things and refuse the word 'no.' "